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Conchita Wurst has hit back at transphobic criticism ahead of her first Eurovision performance tonight.
The Austrian entry, real name Tom Neuwirth, will sing “Rise Like a Phoenix” in a gold gown, with full make-up and a well-groomed beard.
Her performance has received a backlash from some conservative Eastern Europeans, including Russian politician Vitaly Milonov , who called Stephen Fry “sick” last year.
However, Wurst has insisted that she has “a very thick skin” and will continue with her set come what may.
“I can only say ‘Thank you for your attention!’” she told the Associated Press.
“If this is only about me and my person, I can live with it. I'm just a singer in a fabulous dress, with great hair and a beard.”
Show all 37 1 /37Eurovision 2014 contestants Eurovision 2014 contestants Conchita Wurst for Austria Tom Neuwirth has been performing as his alter ego Conchita since 2011. For this year's contest he will be singing 'Rise Like a Phoenix'. Tom's motto is: 'Be the best version of yourself rather than a bad copy of someone else'. Conchita is a symbol for tolerance and artistic freedom around the world.
ORF/Thomas Ramstorfer
Eurovision 2014 contestants Molly Smitten-Downes for the UK Molly is an up and coming singer-songwriter who will represent the UK in Copenhagen with her own song 'Children of the Universe'. The track includes a strong drum beat and lyrics designed to promote 'love and unity'.
BBC/PA
Eurovision 2014 contestants Vilija Matačiūnaitė for Lithuania Vilija's singing talent was first spotted by her kindergarten teacher. She began a professional singing career aged 18 and will perform 'Attention' at Eurovision 2014.
Darius Gražys Vilija Matačiūnauitė "Attention"
Eurovision 2014 contestants Tinkara Kovač for Slovenia Tinkara will be performing 'Round and Round' for Eurovision 2014. She is a singer, flautist and lyricist who has recorded two albums. Past collaborations include Robert Plant and Ian Anderson.
Matej Mljač/ Tinkara Kovač
Eurovision 2014 contestants The Tolmachevy Twins for Russia These girls won Junior Eurovision in 2006 aged nine. Anastasiya and Maria are all grown-up now and ready to perform 'Shine' in Copenhagen.
RTR
Eurovision 2014 contestants Hersi for Albania Hersi Matmuja is just 24 but has already participated in her country's Eurovision selection festival five times. She has been pursuing a career in both modern and classical music. Her song for the contest is 'One Night's Anger'.
Avni Selmani
Eurovision 2014 contestants Tijana for FYR Macedonia Tijana Dapcevic is well-known as a singer, cellist and actress. Her Eurovision song choice 'To the Sky' fits with her life motto: 'The sky's the limit - nothing is impossible'. Her sister Tamara will perform as her backing vocalist in Copenhagen.
Dusan Jaukovic
Eurovision 2014 contestants Mei Finegold for Israel Mei will be performing 'Same Heart' at Eurovision 2014. She is renowned as one of the most unique singers on the Israeli music scene.
Lior Nordman
Eurovision 2014 contestants Freaky Fortune feat. RiskyKidd for Greece Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris are both 23. They will be performing 'Rise Up' for the competition after making their breakthrough online. Freaky Fortune's cover of Katy Perry's 'Part of Me' was championed by blogger Perez Hilton.
Maria Delakou / Freaky Fortune feat. RiskyKidd
Eurovision 2014 contestants András Kállay-Saunders for Hungary András is a long-time lover of Eurovision. He will be singing 'Running' for the 2014 contest - a song with a strong link to his one life. 'I wrote this song about a childhood friend of mine who was victim to child abuse. I would like to raise awareness to this topic.'
Dávid Ajkai
Eurovision 2014 contestants Donatan & Cleo for Poland This duo's song 'My Slowianie' was a hit in Poland and the video has been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube. They will be singing the song - translated to mean 'We Are Slavic' - in Copenhagen.
Respective Broadcasters/EBU Donatan & Cleo
Eurovision 2014 contestants Suzy for Portugal Suzy performed on-stage for the first time aged 5. She has performed at various musical events and will be singing 'Quero Ser Tua' for this year's contest.
Cátia Castel-Branco / RTP
Eurovision 2014 contestants The Shin & Mariko for Georgia Germany-based band The Shin became famous for interweaving traditional Georgian music with more mainstream influences. 'Three Minutes to Earth' reflects this style. 'It describes the last three minutes of a long walk back to Earth.'
Jiji Rejini / GPB
Eurovision 2014 contestants Firelight for Malta Firelight is a fairly new Maltese country folk-pop band. They only formed last June! Nevertheless they will be performing 'Coming Home' for Malta at this year's Eurovision.
Mario Micallef / PBS
Eurovision 2014 contestants Softengine for Finland Eurovision 2014 will be the first big performance for Softengine. The group arrived at their current line-up last summer and will be performing 'Something Better' in Copenhagen.
Marek Sabogal / YLE
Eurovision 2014 contestants Basim for Denmark Basim is a household name in his native Denmark. He came fourth in the first season of The X Factor in 2008 and will now perform 'Cliche Love Song' at Eurovision.
Jens Rosenfeldt / DR
Eurovision 2014 contestants Pollapönk for Iceland Pollapönk were founded in 2006 and are set to perform 'No Prejudice' in Copenhagen. The song is about a young person with a speech impediment who is afraid of being bullied.
Jonatan Gretarsson / RUV
Eurovision 2014 contestants Can-linn feat. Kasey Smith for Ireland Kasey Smith from Dublin found fame with girlband Wonderland in 2010. The group were tutored by Louis Walsh and Kian Egan. Since then the 23-year-old has been in Nashville focusing on her solo career. She will perform 'Heartbeat' at Eurovision.
Philip McMillan / RTE
Eurovision 2014 contestants Tanja for Estonia Tanja moved to Estonia from Russia aged two months. She will perform her song 'Amazing' in Copenhagen.
Stina Kase
Eurovision 2014 contestants Emma for Italy Emma describes music as 'like drinking, sleeping, eating'. She used to follow her father's band gigs and will sing 'La Mia Citta' in Copenhagen.
Flavio & Frank
Eurovision 2014 contestants Twin Twin for France Twin Twin (not Tin Tin!) won't be letting anyone forget their performance in a hurry. The trio are known for their extravagant style and bouncy stage presence. Twin Twin will sing 'Moustache' at Eurovision.
TWIN TWIN
Eurovision 2014 contestants Sergej for Montenegro Sergej will be singing 'Moj Svijet' in Copenhagen. He began his musical career aged 10 when he won second place in the child festival Our Joy.
Kristina Cetkovic / RTCG
Eurovision 2014 contestants Ruth Lorenzo for Spain Ruth was destined to be a singer after screaming so loudly when she was born. She started singing opera aged six and will be performing 'Dancing In The Rain' at Eurovision 2014.
Josep Echaburu - RTVE
Eurovision 2014 contestants Elaiza for Germany This female trio gained a wildcard for the German national final out of more than 2,200 acts who applied via YouTube. They will perform their own song 'Is It Right?' after beating seven of the German music scene's most famous acts.
Ben Wolf
Eurovision 2014 contestants Sebalter for Switzerland Sebalter will be fulfilling a life-long dream when he performs at Eurovision. His trademark is the fiddle which he began playing aged six. Sebalter will perform 'Hunter of Stars' in Copenhagen.
SRF/Merly Knörle
Eurovision 2014 contestants The Common Linnets for The Netherlands Ilse DeLange and Waylon make up this act who will be performing 'Calm After The Storm' at Eurovision 2014. The pair recently travelling to Nashville to prepare for their appearance.
Paul Bellaart / The Common Linnets
Eurovision 2014 contestants Sanna Nielsen for Sweden Sanna, 29, broke onto the music scene aged 11 and is now one of her country's most famous pop artists. She will be singing 'Undo' for this year's competition.
Per Kristiansen
Eurovision 2014 contestants Paula Seling and OVI for Romania Seling is a multi-talented entertainer who has won awards as a classical piano player. She will be performing 'Miracle' with OVI in Copenhagen this May.
Radu Bucura
Eurovision 2014 contestants Dilara Kazimova for Azerbaijan Dilara is influenced by traditional Azeri folk music as well as rock legends like Freddie Mercury. She will perform 'Start A Fire' for Eurovision 2014.
Sergey Illin
Eurovision 2014 contestants ARAM MP3 for Armenia Aram will be representing Armenia in Copenhagen this May with 'Not Alone'. His shows are unpredictable and unique so we're in for a treat.
Arnos Martirosyan/ARAM MP3
Eurovision 2014 contestants Mariya Yaremchuk for Ukraine Mariya hopes to take home the glory for Ukraine with her own intense track 'Tick Tock'. The plan is for her performance to be 'soulful and simple'.
Sergey Illin
Eurovision 2014 contestants Teo for Belarus Teo, real name Yuriy Vaschuk has experience in singing, composing and arranging. A born entertainer, he will perform 'Cheesecake' in Copenhagen which may or may not be cheesy (we suspect cheesy).
BTRC
Eurovision 2014 contestants Cristina Scarlat for Moldova Cristina was born into a family with traditional music roots and has always been surrounded by music. She graduated from the Moldovan music conservatory in 2006 and will be singing ‘Wild Soul’ in Copenhagen.
Vlad Vlas/Cristina Scarlat
Eurovision 2014 contestants Carl Espen for Norway Carl was born in Bergen in 1982 and will represent Norway at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Silent Storm'.
Kim Erlandsen/NRK
Eurovision 2014 contestants Axel Hirsoux for Belgium Trumpet-playing Axel from Charleroi will take to the stage in Copenhagen this May to perform 'Mother' for Belgium.
Bart Musschoot
Eurovision 2014 contestants Valentina Monetta for San Marino Valentina was born in 1975 as the second of two children. She describes her music taste as eclectiv and will sing 'Maybe (Forse)' at Eurovision 2014.
Augusto Betiula/Valentina Monetta
Eurovision 2014 contestants Aarzemnieki for Latvia Aarzemnieki (or Foreigners) began as a YouTube sensation in 2013 after Joran Steinhauer wrote a farewell song to the Lat currency. Now the group will sing 'Cake To Bake' in Copenhagen.
Linda Rutule/ Aarzemnieki (Latvia)
Milonov argued last week that “pervert” Wurst would “insult millions of Russians” by taking part in the “Europe-wide gay parade”. The politician was an architect behind the country’s strict anti-gay propaganda law , which has sparked controversy worldwide.
In response to his comments, Wurst said: “It’s strange that a little facial hair causes that much excitement. I have to add that 80 per cent of autograph requests I get are from Russia and Eastern Europe – and that’s what is important to me.”
Petitions in Russia and Belarus had called for national broadcasters to edit out live coverage of Wurst’s performance, but this is forbidden by the European Broadcasting Union. The organisation has not received any formal complaints, spokesman Jarmo Siim has confirmed.
The 25-year-old Austrian is not the first trans person to enter Eurovision. Israel’s Dana International won the song contest in 1998 having undergone male-to-female gender reassignment surgery prior to competing.
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Sign up Russia is expected to suffer in the voting for both its rigid stance on homosexuality and the current crisis in Ukraine.
Russian twins Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy were booed during the first semi-final in Copenhagen on Tuesday but made it through to Saturday’s final, as did Ukraine’s Mariya Yaremchuk , who was cheered by the crowd.
Votes cast from Crimea will still count for Ukraine, even though Russia has annexed the region, as the phone operator is Ukrainian.
Wurst will have to beat hot favourite Aram MP3 from Armenia, who described her lifestyle as “unnatural” before apologising and insisting he was “joking”.
Other key contenders include Sweden’s Sanna Nielsen , Hungary’s Andras Kallay-Saunders and the UK’s own Molly Smitten-Downes .
